Turbochargers are well known devices for supplying air to the intake of an internal combustion engine at pressures above atmospheric pressure (boost pressures). A conventional turbocharger essentially comprises an exhaust gas driven turbine wheel mounted on a rotatable shaft within a turbine housing. Rotation of the turbine wheel rotates a compressor wheel that is mounted on the other end of the shaft and within a compressor housing. The compressor wheel delivers compressed air to the engine intake manifold. The turbocharger shaft is conventionally supported by journal and thrust bearings, including appropriate lubricating systems, located within a central bearing housing connected between the turbine and compressor wheel housings.
In known turbochargers, the turbine comprises a turbine chamber within which the turbine wheel is mounted, an annular inlet passageway defined between facing radial walls arranged around the turbine chamber, an inlet arranged around the inlet passageway, and an outlet passageway extending from the turbine chamber. The passageways and chambers communicate in such a way that pressurised exhaust gas admitted to the inlet chamber flows through the inlet passageway to the outlet passageway via the turbine and rotates the turbine wheel. It is also well known to trim turbine performance by providing vanes, referred to as nozzle vanes, in the inlet passageway so as to deflect gas flowing through the inlet passageway towards the direction of rotation of the turbine wheel.
Turbines may be of a fixed or variable geometry type. Variable geometry turbines differ from fixed geometry turbines in that the size of the inlet passageway can be varied to optimise gas flow velocities over a range of mass flow rates so that the power output of the turbine can be varied to suit varying engine demands. For instance, when the volume of exhaust gas being delivered to the turbine is relatively low, the velocity of the gas reaching the turbine wheel is maintained at a level that ensures efficient turbine operation by reducing the size of the annular inlet passageway.
In one known type of variable geometry turbine, an axially moveable wall member, generally referred to as a “nozzle ring”, defines one wall of the inlet passageway. The position of the nozzle ring relative to a facing wall of the inlet passageway is adjustable to control the axial width of the inlet passageway. Thus, for example, as gas flowing through the turbine decreases, the inlet passageway width may also be decreased to maintain gas velocity and to optimise turbine output. Such nozzle rings essentially comprise a radially extending wall and inner and outer axially extending annular flanges. The annular flanges extend into an annular cavity defined in the turbine housing, which is a part of the housing that in practice is provided by the bearing housing, which accommodates axial movement of the nozzle ring.
The nozzle ring may be provided with vanes that extend into the inlet passageway and through slots provided on the facing wall of the inlet passageway to accommodate movement of the nozzle ring. Alternatively, vanes may extend from the fixed wall through slots provided in the nozzle ring. Generally the nozzle ring is supported on rods extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the turbine wheel and is moved by an actuator that axially displaces the rods. Various forms of actuators are known for use in variable geometry turbines, including pneumatic, hydraulic and electric actuators that are mounted externally of the turbocharger and connected to the variable geometry system via appropriate linkages.
When a conventional turbine is in use, with gas passing through the inlet passageway, pressure is applied to the face of the nozzle ring tending to force the nozzle ring into the annular cavity. There is pressure in the annular cavity in which the nozzle ring sits and the actuating mechanism must overcome the effect of this pressure if the position of the nozzle ring is to be controlled accurately. Moving the nozzle ring closer to the facing wall of the passageway, so as to further reduce the width of the passageway and increase the speed of the air flow, tends to increase the load applied to the face of the nozzle ring. Some actuators for turbines, for example electric actuators, are able to provide only a relatively limited force to move a nozzle ring when compared to pneumatic actuators. In some operating conditions, the force needed to be supplied by the actuator can exceed the capability of the actuator. Furthermore, it is also desirable to ensure that the resultant force on the nozzle ring is unidirectional.
EP 0654587 discloses a variable geometry turbine with pressure balance apertures in the nozzle ring between nozzle vanes. The forces on the nozzle ring are created by the pressure on the nozzle ring face, the pressure in the cavity behind the nozzle ring, and by the actuator. The function of the pressure balance apertures is to ensure that the cavity behind the nozzle ring is at a pressure substantially equal to, but always slightly less than, the pressure acting on the front face of the nozzle ring to ensure a small but unidirectional force on the nozzle ring.
The turbine nozzle ring is usually provided with an annular array of vanes extending across the turbine inlet. Air flowing through the inlet flows radially between adjacent vanes that can therefore be regarded as defining a vane passage. The turbine inlet has a reduced radial flow area in the region of the vane passage with the effect that the inlet gas speed increases through the vane passage with a corresponding drop in pressure in this region of the nozzle ring. Accordingly, the pressure balance holes as described in EP 0 654 587 are located between vanes in the sense that the inner and/or outer extremity of each balance aperture lies within the inner or outer radial extent of the nozzle guide vane passage.
It has been found that even with the provision of pressure balance holes as disclosed in EP 0 654 587, the force on the nozzle ring can fluctuate undesirably as the pressure within the turbine inlet fluctuates due to exhaust pulses being released into the exhaust manifold of the vehicle engine by the opening and closing action of the exhaust valves. This force fluctuation is present both when the turbocharger is operating in an engine “fired” mode and also an engine “braking” mode. For instance, in braking mode the force fluctuation can give rise to an undesirable fluctuation in the breaking torque produced.
The terms “fired” mode and “braking” mode are well known to the ordinarily skilled artisan in this field